Ladies and Gentleman, please allow me to introduce Guest Blogger Liz!

(Roaring Applause)

Yes dear readers, in case you didn't realize it, I am that bigtime that I now have guest bloggers. And since Liz had repeatedly refused creating a blog of her own, I thought mine would be the perfect forum to express her wild and zany thoughts.

First, a little about Liz...

I met Liz in the summer of '69, when me and the guys from school, we had a band and we tried real hard. Oh wait, that's Bryan Adams. Liz, Liz, Liz...Liz hails from a land far, far away, called Minnesota, then outside Chicago, then San Diego, then Azusa. That's where she lived until she moved to Pasadena, where she resided for a number of years and worked at an ad agency. Before I ever met Liz, her reputation preceded her. You see, Liz worked at this ad agency with my sister B. B would often tell me stories about Liz (all nice, I promise Liz!) and would mention that surely I must know Liz as we both attended the same church group and we both claimed involvement. It was months later that I finally met the notorious Liz.

To help you get to know Liz better, I've asked a former co-worker for their comment:
"One of the first things I remember about Liz is how she yelled at me to turn my cell phone ringer down." (As told by "Schmike," an alias)

Through our involvement at church, Liz and I became acquaintances, and then close acquaintances and then finally friends. Our membership in the same women's small group facilitated many deep and personal conversations. One of the things I appreciate most about Liz is her unfailing wit and sarcasm that contradicts her sweet-as-pie outward appearance. That girl can throw zingers that take me by surprise and make me bust a gut. If Liz didn't hail from Minnesota, then outside Chicago, then San Diego, then Azusa, then Pasadena, and now Chicago, I'd swear she was British; she has just that sense of humor.

Liz is currently the Capitan of "Team Chicago" and prays desperately each day that God would see fit to deliver me to the land of milk and mid-western boys. Liz has been seen to write many a blog post comment raving about the warm Chicago winters and the cool, balmy summers. She's also kind enough to offer me a place to stay when I visit. For more information on Liz, you can read about her in my posts here, here, here and here.

Without further adieu....Here's Liz!
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Greetings readers of Kelly's blog! Kelly has been trying to get me to start a blog for awhile now and I keep telling her that my life is too boring for anyone to want to read about. So, she suggested I be a guest blogger so that I can get the feel of it. So, I'm writing this for Kelly to post on her blog (plus, now that she has a guest contributer, it moves her to the top ranks of blogger status....).

In talking we thought of two topics that I could blog about today.
Topic #1 - Liz's adventures at the library
Over the years I have developed the habit of purchasing books that I want to read instead of using my perfectly good library card to go to the library that has never been more than about a 10 minute walk from where I live. I would say that 80% of the time I am satisfied in my choice to purchase these books as I have enjoyed them very much and have been able to loan out my favorites to friends who have wanted to read them. Then, there's the other 20% that I either didn't enjoy, started but never finished, or have still never started a couple of years later. This year I have decided that I am going to be much more intentional about where my money goes and part of that will be to frequent my local library more often than my local bookshop (which will be hard because there's a REALLY good bookshop on my way to the library!).

Topic #2 - How to rationalize NOT going to the gym For the last couple of years, I have actually been pretty good about regularly going to the gym 3-4 times a week. I can't say that I lost huge amounts of weight or anything doing this, but I felt better about myself and that's what's important. Sometime around September of this year I got out of the habit of going and have only visited the gym about 4 times in the last 4 months! I am not bothered about this as much as I should be because in September I also joined a new gym that is MUCH cheaper (and consequently not as nice) as my old one. Now that my life has at least settled into a more predictable routine, I am trying to get back to my gym rat ways. However, I am really good at talking myself out of going. For instance, this evening. It started raining this afternoon and I have forgotten to bring my umbrella with me. So, I think to myself, I should probably go right home after work and not stop at the gym, it's raining. Somehow, in my head, it actually makes sense that it would be better to walk in the rain right after work instead of going to the gym first and having to walk in the rain after I have worked out. There is a tiny bit of logic to this thinking in that my neighborhood is very difficult to park in. If I go directly home after work, I can get a decent parking space but the later it gets, the further away from my apartment I have to park. However, we are not talking about a difference of blocks here, we are talking feet, maybe a half a block at the most. Then I also realize that I need to do laundry tonight so I should probably get home and do that. Reality is that I wouldn't start my laundry right away anyway and I'll probably get home and manage to talk myself out of doing laundry completely tonight anyway. After all, I still have clean underwear for another day or two. Hey! Maybe I should start a blog about hot to talk yourself out of doing the things that you need to be doing!
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So there you have it folks! Thanks to Liz for sharing her thoughts and her laziness with the readership and the blogging world.

Until next time, discuss amongst yourselves. Or on this blog.